1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a utility work vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
(1) First Related Art
JP 2013-043481 A (U.S. Pat. No. 8,776,939 B2) discloses an example of a utility work vehicle having a rear fame supporting an engine section and a main frame supporting the rear frame. This utility work vehicle includes right and left upper frames and a detachable frame unit supporting a driving section. In this utility work vehicle, the detachable frame unit connects a mount frame to the right and left upper frames via front and rear vertical frames disposed at right and left end portions of the mount frame. Each vertical fame pivotally supports upper and lower rear suspension arms. The driving section connects the engine, a transmission case and a hydrostatic stepless speed changer device, in this order and the hydrostatic stepless speed changer device is mounted at a rear end portion of a vehicle body.
Another conventional utility work vehicle is disclosed in JP 2014-133489 A. This utility work vehicle includes, in its engine section, an engine, a belt type stepless speed changer device and a transmission case. The engine is disposed with its crank shaft being oriented laterally. The transmission case is disposed with its input shaft being oriented laterally. The belt type stepless speed changer device is disposed at a position laterally of the engine and the transmission case.
In the utility work vehicle disclosed in JP 2013-043481 A (U.S. Pat. No. 8,776,939 B2), if the engine section described in JP 2014-133489 A is employed in place of the driving section, the front side vertical frame of the front and rear vertical frames extending from the mount frame to the upper frames is to be disposed on a laterally outer side of the belt type stepless speed changer device. Therefore, when a maintenance operation of the belt type stepless speed changer device is to be effected, the front side vertical frame will be obstructive, so that attachment/detachment of a speed changer cover detachably attached to the belt type stepless speed changer device, replacement of a transmission belt, etc. will become difficult.
Accordingly, there is a need for a frame arrangement suitable for supporting an engine section having a belt type stepless speed changer device.
(2) Second Related Art
JP 2013-043526 A discloses an example of a utility work vehicle having a vehicle body frame, and a load-carrying platform connected to a rear portion of the vehicle body frame to be pivotable up/down relative thereto. In this utility work vehicle, the load-carrying platform is supported to be pivotable about a laterally oriented axis disposed adjacent a rear end of the traveling vehicle body, so that a front end side of the load-carrying platform can be lifted up/down by actuation of a hydraulic dump cylinder. In this utility work vehicle, to a cylinder member of the dump cylinder, a pressure-resistant hose extended from a hydraulic pump driven by the engine is connected as an oil passage for extending/contracting a piston member. Further, with this utility work vehicle, feeding/discharging of oil to/from a cylinder chamber of the cylinder member is controlled by a dump control valve interposed between the hydraulic pump and the cylinder chamber. And, with this utility work vehicle, a lower end portion of the cylinder member is pivotally supported to a support bracket extending inwardly from vicinity of a rear end of a right main frame.
With the above-described arrangement, in case e.g. the dump cylinder is to be actuated with use of an amount of oil present inside the speed changer device, it is necessary to dispose the various hydraulic instruments for lifting up/down the load-carrying platform such as a hydraulic pump, a dump control valve, a dump cylinder, etc. at appropriate positions distributed in the vehicle body and then to lay out a hydraulic hose for lifting up/down the load-carrying platform between and across these various hydraulic instruments for lifting up/down the load-carrying platform. For this reason, in case a utility work vehicle is to be configured as a hydraulic lifting type for hydraulically lifting up/down the load-carrying platform, significant amount of labor will be required.
Accordingly, there is a need for reducing labor in case a utility work vehicle is to be configured as such hydraulic lifting type.